Summer of the Swan
by storygirl1015
Summary: The Swan Princess done Naruto style! Every summer since they were children Prince Sasuke and Princess Sakura have been brought together in the hopes they'd fall in love. Too bad they hate each other. But will it all change when Sakura is kidnapped and placed under a terrible curse?
1. Chapter 1

**Have you ever been sitting down, not thinking of anything in particular, and then BAM! Something hits you just like that? Well, that was how this story came about. I was randomly thinking about how much I adored watching **_**the Swan Princess**_** when I was younger, and somehow, I thought why not make an adapted storyline to fit the cast of Naruto? **

**So for those of you who are familiar with the story, there are a few twists I'm adding in. And also, I know there are several versions, so I'm going to do the one I'm most familiar with. Uh...what else? **

**Oh, I of course don't own Naruto. **

**But I do own my two OC's Akuna and Hakuro. I made the name of Sakura's mother up.**

**Also Reizo, Kenji, Akio, and Sakura's father, belong to _mesweet735_, who was kind enough to let me borrow them.**

**And for the first chapters up until a point, it will be of Sasuke and Sakura's meetings each summer, with every chapter speeding up by a few years. The beginning takes place shortly after Sakura is born. But I guess that's like dur... Anyway, let's begin.**

**Summary**: Every summer since childhood, Princess Sakura and Prince Sasuke have been brought together in the hopes that they would gradually fall in love and one day unite their kingdoms through marriage. Too bad it's a case of puppy loathe at first sight. Sasuke is sure he'll never fall for the pink haired girl with the giant forehead, until the summer she returns with the beauty, charm, and grace of an angel. But what happens when Sakura is stolen away and placed under a terrible spell? Can true love really conquer all, or is it just a fairytale dream?

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><p><strong>Ch. 1<strong>: A Reason to Celebrate

It was a day of celebration in the Hanakimi Kingdom. Trumpets blared, crowds cheered in the streets, and people traveled from miles around to see the newest addition to the royal family. For it was the day that the king and his lovely queen introduced their new baby girl to the rest of the world.

King Yasuo and his beautiful wife Kaikiyo had always wanted a little girl of their own. But for a long time they had tried without success, having twin little boys instead. And though they loved their sons dearly, they couldn't abandon the hope of someday having a daughter, and prayed desperately for one, knowing they were growing older.

Finally, as if by some miracle, the queen found herself pregnant yet again, and this time, much to the couple's joy and excitement, the royal doctor had announced it was to be a girl!

And so it was that they came to have a beautiful baby girl with bubble gum pink hair and gorgeous green eyes. She was small, considering she was born healthy and on time, but they loved her anyway, and she was given the name Sakura, not only for her unusual pink hair, but the world-famous blossoms that bloomed throughout the kingdom in the spring season which she was born.

Now baby Sakura was almost a month old, and everyone from across the kingdom had been invited to come and see the bouncing baby girl their majesties had been blessed with. Little Sakura lay in her hand-woven bassinet wrapped in the finest silks available, as travelers lined up for miles outside the castle gates to get a glimpse of the little girl.

Among them were Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, the king and queen of the Fire Kingdom, along with their two young sons. The Uchiha family were old friends of the Haruno's, Mikoto and Kaikiyo being best friends since childhood, and Fugaku and Yasuo training as knights together when they were young boys.

When they saw each other again after the many long years apart, there were many warm greetings and happy laughter of congratulations. Yasuo puffed out his chest as he stood proudly beside his wife, an arm around her slender waist as he talked with Fugaku about kingdom politics. Mikoto was busy chattering to Kaikiyo and gushing over the news of a new baby, telling her how happy she was for her and how much fun the new child would be.

Meanwhile, prince Akuna, the younger of the Haruno's twin sons, was fidgeting and shifting from one foot to another as if he had to go to the bathroom as he stood beside his father, a childish scowl on his young face. Akuna was known for being very impatient and impulsive, and had a fiery tongue as hot as his flaming red hair suggested.

He loved to run wild and hated standing still for any period of time. Right now his mind was wondering off as he thought of all the fun things he could be doing, such as playing out in the royal garden, sneaking freshly-baked pastries from the kitchen when the cooks weren't watching, and playing pranks on the servants.

Beside him, his brother stood calmly, not fidgeting, but looking up at his parents as they talked with the king and queen of the other kingdom. Hakuro found politics to be fascinating, and hoped that he would be able to spend time in other countries learning of their different parliaments before he took the thrown. His icy silver hair was kept short and neat, with only his long bangs falling slightly into his green eyes in contrast to the shaggy hair of his brother.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Fugaku? I'm glad to see you made it for Sakura's first royal celebration." Yasuo grinned at his old friend.

"Of course, you know we wouldn't miss it for the world." Fugaku stated, nodding. "By the way, these are my sons, Itachi and Sasuke, I believe you met my eldest some time ago." The man motioned to the two boys near him. The older one bowed respectively to Yasuo and Kaikiyo, greeting them both politely.

"Itachi! My, haven't you grown." Yasuo studied the boy intently. "I haven't seen you since you barely came to my knees and now look at you!" he laughed heartily.

"Yes, he certainly has grown up fast," Queen Kaikiyo agreed, smiling, "And so handsome too! I imagine he'll be a prince that'll make many young girls swoon when he grows older,"

"Speaking of swooning, I hear little Sakura-chan has your looks Kaikiyo. After all your hard work you must be proud," Mikoto chirped to her friend.

"Yes, we both are. And I see you've brought along your new little one. How old is Sasuke now?" Kaikiyo studied the cute little boy hiding shyly behind his mother's flowing dress, glancing around at all the unfamiliar people who towered over him.

"He's just turned two not long ago." Mikoto smiled down at her youngest as he looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes, frowning and holding his arms out to be picked up and held. She obliged, and he immediately buried his face into his mother's soft hair in comfort. "He's still not too fond of crowds though, but he was excited to come and see Sakura-chan. He even brought her a gift. Right Sasuke-chan?" she cooed, as Sasuke lifted his head slowly at the sound of his mother's voice.

It was customary for visitors to bring gifts whenever a new prince or princess was presented to the kingdom for the first time, as a way of showing respect and giving blessings to the baby.

"Well, how sweet!" Kaikiyo gushed. "Why don't we let the boys see Sakura-chan then?" Agreeing, the Uchiha family walked to the elegant cradle the precious baby Sakura rested in, and Mikoto gently placed Sasuke back down.

He looked up at his mother in slight confusion and she ushered him forward with a wave of her hand, smiling warmly. Sasuke toddled toward the basket, Itachi beside him. Akuna and Hakuro stood back with their parents and the Uchiha's to watch the scene unfold. They were in no rush to see Sakura-chan since she was theirs to love, keep, hold and protect as their new baby sister.

Itachi stared down at the little girl, being tall enough to stand up and see her clearly. But Sasuke, barely able to reach the edge of the bassinet, cautiously peeked over the side, standing on his tiptoes to see the most incredible thing he'd ever witnessed in his short life.

Baby Sakura was wide awake and staring up at them inquisitively. Her cheeks were a bright rosy hue and her round eyes were a clear green that shined brighter than any emerald. Her forehead was a bit wider than average, but it was cute on a baby like her.

Sasuke continued to stare in awe, and Sakura turned her curious green orbs to him, giggling sweetly. Grinning, Sasuke pulled out the object he had been keeping in his pocket and presented it to the tiny princess, dangling it just within her reach.

Sakura watched the shiny silver object swinging back and forth, clearly fixated, her eyes sparkling happily as she reached for it with both hands, Sasuke quickly dropping it into her grasp.

Sakura cooed in delight at the pretty ornament now hanging around her neck, a simple yet elaborate oval-shaped necklace with a design of a cherry blossom etched on the outside. It was beautiful and priceless, and Sakura would grow to cherish it for years to come.

Looking up at his brother, Sasuke beamed, "Aniki, she cute!" he proclaimed.

Itachi looked down at his little brother, a soft smile gracing his lips. "Oh?"

Sasuke nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh! I gonna marry her when I get growed up!" he chimed excitedly. Itachi laughed quietly as his younger brother puffed out his chest in pride.

"Is that so? Do you even know what marriage is Sasuke?" the older Uchiha questioned, to which he received a thoughtful, surprised stare.

Sasuke put a finger to his chin and looked down before slowly shuffling his feet. "Um... what a mommy and daddy do before the baby-birdy comes, why't?" he asked innocently. (**a/n: he's referring to a stork delivering babies, in case you don't know)**

Itachi simply chuckled again, shaking his head once before ruffling Sasuke's hair. "Not quite, otouto. I suppose you'll learn one day." He told the now pouting youth. Sasuke always pouted when Itachi ruffled his hair.

The two royal couples stood back and watched their children in obvious amusement. Yasuo was grinning, Fugaku wore a smirk on his normally stoic face, and Mikoto and Kaikiyo were practically gushing like giddy school-girls, cooing about how adorable Sasuke was.

Akuna and Hakuro simply sweat-dropped at seeing their mother's behavior, '_Mother's really enjoying herself_,' Hakuro blinked up at his mother.

'_Wow, mama's acting even weirder than daddy normally does!_' Akuna quirked an eyebrow as he gave his mother a strange look.

Just then, the two women seemed to get an idea at the same time as identical light bulbs came on over their heads and they looked to each other with matching wide grins. "Kaikiyo, I just had the most brilliant idea!" Mikoto exclaimed.

"Really? So did I!" the other woman replied.

"Oh, then you go first," Mikoto suggested.

"No, no...you, my dear." giggled the red-haired woman.

"Why don't we both say it at the same time?"

"Fair enough," Kaikiyo grinned widely.

"...What if Sakura and Sasuke get married and unite the kingdoms!" they both squealed at once. They cheered all the more and joined their hands together, literally jumping for joy after realizing they'd both had the same idea.

Their husbands stared at them, a bit surprised by the idea before Yasuo cleared his throat to speak, "Well Fugaku, it seems our wives have their hearts set on a union through arranged marriage? What do you say?"

Fugaku closed his eyes in thought. The Haruno family's kingdom was indeed very vast and powerful. They also happened to be known for their remarkable healing skills, and superhuman strength. Joined together with the Uchiha's military force, the two kingdoms would no doubt be among the most powerful in the world. "Hai, it sounds like a very plausible idea."

Yasuo clapped his old friend on the back in an affectionate manner, and the two women began twirling around together in circles. The two twin boys, only five-years old, watched the adults curiously, only half understanding what was going on.

Itachi however, knew exactly what was happening, being considered a child prodigy, and looked back at his younger brother to see him still playing with a giggling Sakura. '_Well, otouto it seems you've gotten your wish._' he thought to himself. '_I wonder how things will go in the future?_'

As the two families continued to celebrate and talk about future arrangements, one figure stood stiffly at the back of the crowd, watching with hateful eyes. His name was Kenji Isawa, and he was an old friend of King Yasuo's along with being his top advisor.

They had known each other for many years and at one point had been close friends, but as Yasuo's kingdom began to spread and grow wider, Kenji's bitterness and jealousy had grown deeper and deeper. Why should he be the servant to a soft-hearted, idiotic fool of a king, when he had the strength, wisdom, and ability to rule five kingdoms!

Thinking about it made his blood boil. Not to mention the fact that he had once been in love with Sakura's mother, the beautiful and feisty queen Kaikiyo. But before he could confess his feelings to her his so-called best friend had stolen away the woman of his dreams from right under his nose!

He had never been able to forgive Yasuo for that, and although he now had two twin sons of his own, he still yearned bitterly for Kaikiyo and the crown.

"Father," he felt a tug at his robe, and looked down to see his eldest son, Reizo, looking back up at him with dark amber eyes. He was a very stoic boy for his age, only showing compassion or playfulness to his younger brother. His flaming red hair was short and spiky, messily going in all directions.

"What is it Reizo?"

"When will I get to have Sakura?"he queried, his gaze never leaving his father's. Ever since the little princess was born Reizo had had his heart set on claiming her as his wife one day. Kenji, thinking this suited his plans well, had agreed.

If he were to kill Yasuo and claim the throne, then Reizo could rule after him with Sakura as his legitimate bride. Of course, the king and queen also had two older sons that would need to be dealt with, but they weren't of much concern to him at the moment since they weren't a threat.

"Soon Reizo, very soon..." he murmured. Reizo smirked lightly, thinking of the day when he would rule the kingdom after their father with Sakura as his wife. Akio, his younger twin brother, blinked curiously. He was much more carefree and relaxed then his father and brother, though that didn't mean he wouldn't obey them regardless.

Kenji drew his black cloak up over his head and faded into the crowd, retreating into his private lair, where he practiced the deadly black arts secretly. His sons followed behind him. Little did anyone know that along with being a cunning and experienced aide of the king's, he was also a powerful and dangerous sorcerer who routinely practiced dark magic.

He had been planning to overthrow Yasuo for some time now, strengthening his magic and planning in the shadows. His cold eyes flashed as he lifted his hands, causing the liquid boiling in a nearby pot to rise into the air, turning from a poisonous eggplant purple to a violent shade of red.

Flexing his fingers, a wicked grin spread across his face as the strange potion, spreading like inkblots and perfectly suspended in midair, began to swirl, the flash of colors lighting up the dark dungeon-like room.

An image of the king and queen happily holding each other and two young boys standing at their side as they all gazed down at the peacefully sleeping Sakura appeared in the mix of colors. The scene faded as Kenji continued to churn the liquid's colors, and the smoke grew into the form of a sinister-looking beast, jagged wings spread wide and mouth open, ready to engulf anything in its path into smoldering flames.

Reizo watched his father performing his spells and a crooked smile made its way to his own face, Akio trembling slightly and backing away to stand behind his brother. "Yes, Yasuo, my old friend...soon, your kingdom will be mine!" his dark chuckle echoed in the creepy room, piercing the still night.

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><p>It was weeks later, nearly midnight, when the king's forces came crashing into Kenji's lair, smashing potion bottles and overturning tables of strange looking ingredients. The king had grown wary of his old friend's suspicious behavior as of late, and had sent his guards to investigate.<p>

Reizo and Akio, sleeping in the small bedroom connected to the lair and startled awake by all the noise, could only look on in awe as they watched their father single-handedly battle some of the king's strongest men.

He seemed to be doing fairly well, too, until one of the soldiers managed to catch him off guard, and the others quickly wrestled him to the ground, placing special magic-proof restraints around his wrist as they led him away. All his magic powers had been completely drained away, leaving him defenseless.

Several other soldiers grabbed them by the arms and began to drag them out s well, Reizo snarling and twisting around in rage, trying to sink his teeth into the man's arm, while Akio glanced around fearfully as he was pulled roughly into a dark chamber ten time's scarier than his father's creepy base.

-XOXOX-

Early the next morning, Kenji was taken to the path near the woods, on the outskirts of the kingdom to be banished, his two sons in tow. They were led by three soldiers on horseback, and the king's entire army following close behind, weapons at the ready should Kenji try to attack.

Reizo was glaring at the guards defiantly and Akio only frowned, his head lowered to avoid the scathing gazes of the king's men. When they finally reached the path, the chains around the sorcerer's wrists were unhooked and he jerked away roughly from the guards who'd been restraining him to shoot his former friend an icy glare.

"I'm not through with you yet, Yasuo. I'll get my powers back one day. And when I do...everything you own, everything you love...will be mine." he warned darkly, his venomous tone causing the two princes standing near their mother to clutch onto the folds of her dress instinctively, shuddering away from the disturbing man.

Yasuo only stood his ground, his jaw set and his gaze stern and warning. There was no sign of the normally bright and playful king everyone knew and admired. "Go now. I've spared your life out of honor to our old friendship; don't make me regret my decision." he spoke, his tone emotionless and unwavering.

Shooting the king one final death glare, Kenji turned, his long black cloak sweeping the ground as he slowly retreated into the forest, his sons following behind. The king watched his old friend go until he was well out of sight, before suddenly releasing a deep sigh.

His eyes became their normal shade of light grey, as he turned around, his head falling slightly before he closed his eyes in deep contemplation. Many people had called for Kenji to be sentenced to death after hearing of his treason, but Yasuo being as kind and merciful as he was, had spared his life, not having the heart to sentence his old friend to execution, even under the circumstances.

Now, he felt his decision weighing heavily on his chest, and a gentle touch on his shoulder made him turn to lock eyes with his concerned wife. He stared at her warmly, feeling comforted merely by having her at his side, silently reassuring him he'd made the right choice.

In the crook of her other arm, she held a tiny bundle of pink close to her body. Feeling his mood lighten considerably, he carefully took the blanket-wrapped bundle from her, looking down into the innocent face of his daughter, who was sleeping quietly.

He smiled down lovingly at the cute face she made in her sleep, kissing her gently on the forehead. He still couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such a wonderful life. He was a very powerful and wealthy king with many great treasures, but the greatest among them would always be his family.

Today had left a small wound on his heart, but now, walking back towards the castle, his precious baby girl in his arms, his wife walking at his side holding Hakuro's hand, and his ever-mischievous younger son scrambled onto his back, everyone's hopes for the future turned toward the not-so-far off summer, when his daughter and the young Uchiha prince would finally meet.

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><p><strong>Er...ch. 1 complete. It was pretty easy to follow the original storyline this way, so I'm happy. mesweet735 set the bar in-terms of how to write her characters, all I had to do was follow it. It just so happened to work out that Kenji is a jealous, evil man similar to the sorcerer in the movie. But seriously, what's up with his sick obsession of getting revenge on his old friend? It's almost comical how completely deranged he is and how far he's willing to go. XD I hope you'll all send lots of feedback through reviews! <strong>

**P.S. Oh, i might've forgot to mention it before, but i don't usually do SasuxSaku. I've come to accept it recently, but I still prefer NaruxSaku, or just about ANYONE but the uchiha traitor. I only chose him because he seemed to fit the role of the bratty young prince the best. XD This is basically my first SauxSaku, so you'd better go easy on me! I might add some other Sakuxpairings later. But for now SasuxSaku is the main one...urgh, yay... **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone. I'm very proud to be bringing you the second chapter. I'm really hoping this story will become popular as I've put a lot of thought into it and have really been having fun doing it. Please show your support with lots of reviews! Oh, and the title for this chappy is from a song in the cartoon movie that I think would really fit. I encourage anyone who's never seen the movie to check it out; it's very cute, funny, and heart-warming. Not to mention the characters are hilarious. XD Now on with the story!**

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><p><strong>Ch. 2<strong>: Not My Idea of Fun

Wide green eyes looked at the scenery with awe through the carriage window, the young girl gaping slightly as she gazed at the enormous mountains and vast fields they rolled past. "Wow..." she breathed, her eyes glimmering.

This was her first time leaving the kingdom, and everything she saw fascinated her. Beside her, she heard a deep chuckle, and looked up to see her father grinning down at her. "Having fun, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

She immediately nodded her little pink head vigorously, a toothy grin on her innocent young face. "Uh-huh! Everything's so pretty, daddy!" she exclaimed, glancing back out at the beautiful countryside view before looking back up into the handsome face of her father.

The entire royal Haruno family was traveling to the far away kingdom of their old friends the Uchiha's so Sakura could meet prince Sasuke and spend the summer getting to know the boy she was supposed to one day marry.

Of course nothing was set in stone yet. Both families had agreed that for the sake of their long-standing friendship and the happiness of their children, the wedding arrangements would not be made official until both Sasuke and Sakura were of proper age and willingly agreed to be wed.

Neither couple wanted to force their children into doing something that would make them unhappy just for the sake of the kingdoms prospering. Sure a union of marriage would be nice, but only if the kids agreed. Right now, the meeting was more of a play-date so that the two could get used to each other.

The king beamed down at her, glad his youngest child and only daughter was enjoying her first trip outside the castle walls. "Glad to hear it princess," he smiled lovingly, before picking her up to place her down on his lap. "Now look there," he pointed to the left, toward a large field of sunny yellow flowers.

"Oh!" the young princess gasped in wonder. "What're those called?"

"They're sunflowers, dear." came a soothing voice from the other side of the carriage. "They usually grow in large open fields like this one." The little girl looked at the gentle smiling face of her mother, and felt her stomach bubble with excitement.

Her brothers sat on either side of the red-haired woman, watching their younger sister's reactions with amusement. Five-year old Sakura was a naturally bright, curious, and very innocent little girl. She was known throughout the Hanakimi kingdom as being the sweet, pretty little princess everyone adored.

She only hoped the royal Uchiha family would find her as charming. She didn't know why, but even though she was excited for the trip, and the prospect of seeing another kingdom for the first time, she was also a little nervous.

Her parents had told her they were going to meet a prince and that she was supposed to spend the summer playing with him. She didn't know very much about the world beyond the castle walls she'd spent the first five years of her life in, but she had heard plenty of talk about the powerful Uchiha clan, and how it was said to be one of the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful kingdoms in the world. Or as Sakura understood it: 'important peoples'.

Her mother told her that they had come to see her when she was a baby, shortly after she was born, but of course Sakura didn't remember that.

So it didn't really count as a first meeting, right? That's why it was so important for her to make a good impression now. She had been instructed in proper etiquette since she first began talking, and she knew how to behave like a princess pretty well by now.

As soon as she was introduced she was supposed to curtsy in respect. She had been practicing this for the past few days before they'd left, bowing over and over until her knees hurt from bending so much. She didn't know if she'd had enough time to get it right but she sure hoped they'd at least be impressed by her effort.

Her bottom lip trembled slightly and she instinctively wrapped her small fingers around the silver pendant hanging around her neck. It was her good luck charm. One she had for as long as she could remember and never took off. She closed her eyes and made a silent wish for good luck.

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><p>Prince Sasuke scowled. Well, it was meant to be a scowl, but being only seven, it was nothing more than a grumpy pout. Of course he'd be upset. Why shouldn't he be?<p>

Today, a princess was coming to see him. And he would have to be nice and play with her.

All.

Summer.

Long.

In Sasuke's mind, this was beyond torture. It was...an outrage, a calamity, an epic farce, a fate so terrible it threatened to throw the whole world out of balance! Ok, maybe not the _whole_ world.

Itachi said the whole world was a lot bigger than just their kingdom, and just by the fact that Itachi was always right, he would know.

But, but...it _did_ seriously put a dent on Sasuke's summer plans. He and Naruto were going to train to become knights and go horseback riding and build a tree-fort and hike through the woods to wrestle bears. **(a/n: lol aah~ young boys and their imaginations...)**

They'd already spent the whole week deciding.

And then, suddenly, this morning at breakfast, his mother, the one woman he loves and adores, the only female he found mildly tolerable, comes to him, smiling the same cheerful smile she always does. Oh, how he loved that smile, it was like the security and kindness of a mother's love in just one look.

Yet with that same smile, the same mouth she used to give him encouragement, and sing him to sleep with sweet lullabies, and whisper words of comfort in his ear when the thunder outside his window made the room feel like its shaking and he can't stop trembling, she tells him, oh so casually, that the king and queen of the Hanakimi kingdom are coming to visit, and they're bringing their daughter to meet him.

And just like that, Sasuke felt his whole world crashing down around him. It was like being stuck in the Twilight Zone with Freddy Kruger, Jason, _and_ Jack the Ripper, during _the Haunting_. **(a/n: I don't know much about horror movies, so cut me some slack.)**

Putting both hands to his face and looking like _The Scream_, or maybe the Uh-oh Spaghetti-o Kid when the pasta monster ate his ravioli, he proceeded to do something truly amazing.

He sucked in a deep breath, puffed out his chest bravely, settled his young face into a firm frown, looked his mother right in the eye, and...

He then got down on his knees, attached himself to her ankles and proceeded to bawl like it was going out of fashion. **(a/n: imagine a little Sasuke sliding around on the floor in circles with his hands over his ears, screaming his lungs out. XD)**

When that tactic failed he gave her the best puppy dog pout he had ever made in his life (and he'd made some pretty darn incredible pouts, if he said so himself), begging, whining, _pleading_ with her not to make him go through with this.

Something that was far beneath the prestigious pedigree of his lineage and no Uchiha should _ever _be made to do, even at the feet of the woman responsible for birthing him. Alas, it was all for not. She held firm, and he crumbled, bitterly conceding defeat.

Now, as he sat near the bottom of the long and winding grand staircase, the main-centerpiece for all who entered the front of the castle with its gleaming gold-polished railing and velvet carpeting, he sulked like he'd never sulked before.

Curled stiffly with his elbows placed on his knees, and his head propped up with both hands, he slumped forward, feeling the weight of defeat, and utterly dreading ever passing second, knowing it would bring him that much closer to his demise.

Beside him, a blond boy with nicely tanned skin, ocean blue eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek, slumped forward as well, trying to look as miserable as his friend felt in support of his predicament.

Actually make that _their_ predicament. Practically all their plans involved spending time together, so whatever ruined Sasuke's fun was ruining his, too.

This made it a little easier for the blond to understand why his friend was being so gloomy. Well, more so than usual. In Naruto's opinion, Sasuke was a born drama king. Something he'd never tell his friend to his face, unless he wanted him to go all grumpy-emo on him.

But he digressed, if they didn't find a way to get out of this thing fast, they might as well kiss the rest of their summer bye-bye and hit it with a glass wine bottle, because the ship would be setting sail soon. "Hey Sasuke, we gotta do something." Naruto voiced, knowing his friend was listening. "I mean how are we gonna have fun and do stuff with a _girl_ tagging along the whole time?"

Naruto shivered as he said the word 'girl' as it were some horrible, spine-tingling disease. Everyone knew that just their touch was venom that could melt your skin off in seconds, and they _were_ the inventors of the dreaded cootie-disease, after all.

Sasuke sat up a little straighter and looked at his friend, frowning in annoyance. "I _know_ that already Naruto. But what are we supposed to do? My mom said I have to be nice to her, or else I'm gonna have to help out in the stable all day for two weeks. Do you know how much it _stinks_ in there with all those horses?" the young prince crinkled his nose, imagining the horrible smell of a dozen, large horses' _waste_ materials.

Naruto slumped a little, his brow furrowing as he seemed to be in deep thought. Sasuke watched him, noting that his friend was rarely ever this serious about anything. Finally, Naruto sat up with a jolt, "I got it!" he yelled, causing Sasuke to lean back slightly in surprise.

Sasuke gave the blond his best scowl-in-training, trying to cover his slight embarrassment at being made to jump and hoping his loud friend hadn't noticed. He didn't seem to, luckily for the prince, and his deep blue eyes twinkled brightly with mischief.

Sasuke knew that look all too well... "See, here's what we're gonna do," Naruto began talking in a low, secretive whisper. Well as low and secretive as Naruto could possibly talk.

And by the time he'd finished explaining the plan, Sasuke had almost regained some hope that maybe, just maybe, their plans for a perfect summer could still be saved.

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><p>Sakura had fallen asleep on her father's lap, her excitement and nervousness making her feel drowsy. The warm sunlight shining in through the carriage's window and the light airy breeze from outside probably wasn't helping much either.<p>

She had entered into a comfortable and peaceful sleep, dreams of being in a field of bright, beautifully colored flowers while the mysterious prince took her by the hand and lead her to a shady spot under a tree, where they laid and rested filling her mind.

She half-turned, nestling further into her father's warm body as he stroked her hair. Her breathing was soft and even and a small smile was slowly appearing on her angelic face. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe it could even be...fun!

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she felt someone gently shaking her shoulders and whispering in her ear. "Sakura, wake up sweetie, we're here." Slowly, her large green eyes drifted open, and she sat up, yawning with a wide stretch and rubbing at her eyes cutely.

She heard someone chuckle, feeling the vibrations against her small body as she leaned against her father's chest. "Did you have a nice nap?"

She nodded her head drowsily, still feeling slightly lethargic. He patted the top of her head, still chuckling. "Good."

"Look out the window, Sakura honey." She heard her mother saying, and quietly did so. The site of the large kingdom they had just entered came into view, and Sakura couldn't help the awed gasp as her young eyes widened in amazement.

Life was everywhere, people coming and going as they did their chores or sold their goods throughout the city. People stopped to look in the direction of the carriage, which was being pulled by three majestic white horses, and waved cheerfully in their direction. Sakura waved back delightedly.

But the most amazing sight was the giant castle sprawled out in the distance that seemed to stretch across the horizon. It was truly a glorious sight to behold with the pristine white stone walls, intricate arches, and beautiful statues near the front gates.

Of course being a princess, Sakura's home, her castle, was nothing to shrug off either, and stood just as tall and proud; but seeing another castle for the first time, with a different layout and even _more_ land, took her breath away.

The guards standing at the gates moved aside when they saw the carriage, bowing as it rolled by. A short, round little man with a thin mustache that curled up at the ends and a pointy goatee watching from high up on one of the steeple towers gave an excited squeal when he spotted the carriage, stumbling across the tile roof and to his small lookout post just below it, with a round little balcony barely big enough for one person to stand.

Luckily for him he was small and short, which was why he'd been given the job in the first place. He took a deep breath and prepared to blow into the trumpet perched on its metal stand attached to the ledge. He gave a mighty puff, and a muffled noise came out of the instrument.

Trying again, he blew deeper, a large bulge inside the instrument apparently clogging the sound from escaping. Hopping onto the ledge he blew with all his might, the force alone causing him to spin around along with the trumpet, a large pop signifying that the thing lodging the trumpet was free. A loud blow escaped the golden trumpet, along with a bird's nest.

-XOXO-

Naruto had just finished explaining the plan when a loud squeal pierced the air, causing both boys to cringe. They turned to see the queen running to the castle entrance, holding the ends of her long dress in her hands and looking as giddy as she ever had. Sasuke's elder brother, Itachi, was following along calmly. Sasuke groaned—the torture had begun.

"They're here!" Mikoto squealed, stopping in front of them. "Alright Sasuke, come along." Sasuke pouted, looking like he were being made to sell his soul away and begrudgingly followed his mother, Naruto trailing behind.

Itachi glanced at the blond momentarily before mentally shrugging it off. It was well known that Sasuke was hardly ever seen without his blond best friend tagging along. The two were inseparable, and had been since shortly after they'd met.

The queen hadn't seemed to notice the blond boy, either because she was too busy being excited, or wholly intent not to. Yes, she did like Naruto and thought he was a very sweet boy, an excellent friend for her Sasuke to have, but he was also a mischievous little devil when he wanted to be—too mischievous.

"Oh, I can't wait to see how Sakura-chan has grown! I bet she's the spitting image of her mother now, minus the pink hair of course." Mikoto babbled on, paying no mind as to whether or not they were actually listening.

"You two looked so cute together when you were babies, I thought I'd never be able to get you apart when it was time to come home— you kicked, screamed and cried the whole way." Mikoto reminisced, giggling.

She didn't notice the way her son immediately froze up, his face blanched into an expression of pure horror. There was no way he'd acted like that over some prissy pink-haired princess. _A girl. _There was just no way. He sent his blond friend his best death glare from the corner of his eye as he heard the muffled snickers.

"Shut it, Narutard..." the young prince hissed quietly.

They rounded the corner, exiting through the castle's archway and into the front courtyard, where a large carriage drawn by two majestic white stallions had just pulled up. Sasuke stood beside his mother, scowling as menacingly as he possibly could, when the door was opened by a coachman, and a tall man with slightly shaggy, brown hair that reached his collarbone stepped out, followed by a dainty red-haired woman in an elegant pea-green gown, two older boys both dressed in nice royal outfits, capes and all, and lastly, to his horror, the girl he assumed he'd have to socialize with.

He narrowed his eyes as she was lifted out of the carriage and placed onto the ground, where she immediately clung to her mother's gown, peeking from behind it shyly. She wore a light pink gown that matched her strikingly pink hair and flared out at the bottom, along with a royal beret on her head to match the gown and maroon silk slippers on her small feet.

Anyone would look at her and say she was absolutely adorable— anyone except for Sasuke. To him she was public enemy number one.

Mikoto clasped her hands together as she studied the small girl, Kaikiyo doing the same as she looked at Sasuke and Itachi. Then, their gazes met and they beamed at each other.

"Kaikiyo!"

"Mikoto!" they both rushed forward at once and enveloped each other in a tight embrace. Sasuke frowned, while Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"It's been so long, it's so nice to finally see you again!" Kaikiyo chirped.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Mikoto stepped back so she could look at her friend more closely, still smiling. "You look as stunning as ever, and n ot a day older!"

"Oh, I don't know about that." The red-haired woman giggled. "You've always been the lovelier one,"

"Oh, stop! You're making me blush!" Mikoto fanned her hand, as if signaling her to stop. "And, Yasuo! You're still as fit and handsome as ever, I see." She exclaimed, rushing over to give the king a friendly hug.

"Ah, my dear Mikoto. You flatter me, truly." he grinned. "Where is Fugaku?"

"He's visiting the neighboring kingdoms, trying to negotiate a trade agreement." Mikoto smiled warmly, "But he's due back in a few days, so I'm sure he'll be here before you leave."

Yasuo nodded in understanding, before taking note of the boys still standing behind the dark-haired queen. "Ah, well now, what have we here? This fine young man couldn't possibly be the little prince I remember?" he raised his eyebrow playfully as he looked down at Sasuke, who stood stiffly between Naruto and his brother.

Mikoto glanced back, "Yes, that's my little Sasuke. And of course you remember Itachi, and oh—Naruto, when did you get here?" she blinked, finally taking note of the blond, whiskered-boy.

"I've been here all afternoon, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed, puffing his chest out and pointing to himself with a thumb.

Yasuo laughed and Kaikiyo smiled. "This is Sasuke's friend, Naruto." Mikoto explained, "His father's our top ambassador and his mother was the duchess of the Whirlpool country. He comes to play here so often it's as if we have a third son."

"I see," Kaikiyo said. "Well, of course you remember our sons, Akuna and Hakuro." She gestured to the two boys beside her. "And then, there's our darling little Sakura-chan," she smiled warmly, placing both hands on her shoulders, as Sakura stood in front of her mother, looking back at her innocently.

Mikoto instantly clasped her hands together, her eyes twinkling brightly. "Oh~she's beautiful, even cuter than I remember!" she gushed, sighing dreamily.

Sakura smiled nervously, grabbing the edges of her dress in her small hands and curtsying politely."H-Hello, it's nice to m-meet you, Mikoto-sama." she greeted.

"Ah!" Mikoto gasped, placing both hands on her face. "So kawaii! She'll make a great daughter-in-law!" She then turned to her youngest son. "Sasuke, why don't you go and introduce yourself, now?"

Sasuke looked up at his mother with a sour pout, "But mother—" he whined grudgingly.

"Sasuke..." she smiled forcedly, her mouth stretched in a thin line. "Go. Now." she whispered lowly. Sasuke took a few steps back at his mother's scary expression, huffing in defeat.

"Fine," he grumbled, stepping forward slightly. Sakura blinked curiously as he stopped less than a foot in front of her, eyeing her warily. She tiled her head to the side. "Hello, princess Sakura. It's _very _nice to meet you." he bit out, as if each word made his stomach churn nauseously.

"Hello to you, too, prince Sasuke!" Sakura replied sweetly, beginning to curtsy again. "It's very nice to finally meet—" she glanced up from her bow, only to see Sasuke had already begun walking away. "—you...?" she finished hesitantly.

Sasuke returned to his spot beside Naruto, arms crossed over his chest, scowling bitterly (or attempting to). Naruto glanced at his friend and grinned, finding Sasuke's flustered state highly amusing. Itachi only raised an eyebrow and smirked, also enjoying his little brother's agitated state.

"Sasuke," his mother began quietly, still speaking in that firm yet eerily calm tone, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

He looked at her in surprise, his young face set solemnly as he seemed to ponder something, before his dark eyes grew round in horror. "Ah no! Please don't make me..." he groaned.

"Sasuke," she chided, shooting him a look that clear said '_do it or else_'.

Sucking in a deep breath, he trudged gloomily back towards the princess. Looking at her as if he were going to be sick any minute.

She raised a delicate pink eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look as if telling him he'd better not try anything. Jerkily, he reached for her hand, his own shaking slightly, and, grabbing hers, he lowered his lips and pecked it quickly, withdrawing as if he'd been burned and turning around to wipe his mouth on the back of his sleeve in disgust.

Naruto, seeing his friend's distress was struggling between snickering out loud and feeling sympathy. He had just touched a girl after all. So he settled for grimacing in pity of his friend's fate. Mikoto merely smiled in satisfaction and Itachi looked to his brother in amusement.

Akuna was glaring at the young prince who'd dared to touch his sister, and Hakuro was sighing as if sensing this summer was going to be by far, the longest ever. Yasuo was smiling obliviously and his wife was giving the children a concerned smile, here eyebrows dipping up gently.

Sasuke continued to glare as he walked back toward his mother, Itachi and Naruto. '_I can't believe I'm stuck with _**her**_ all summer...I bet she doesn't wrestle, hunt, or box!' _he thought bitterly, sure that this girl was in every way inferior and not worth a second of his precious free time.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Sakura wiping her hand on her dress and puffing her cheeks out at him, looking on guard, but still absolutely adorable and little to no threat to anyone.

He was surprised however, when she suddenly lifted her fists and glowered at him with the fiercest look he had ever seen from a girl. He cringed instinctively, lifting his hands defensively and giving her a startled look.

'_He looks conceited..._' Sakura thought, eying the prince warily.

'_What a total bummer...' _Sasuke huffed to himself, finally making it back over to Naruto.

'_If I get lucky, I'll get chicken pox._' They both thought, turning back to their respective families only to be ushered to face each other again.

Both plastered on their best fake smiles, Sasuke bowing with one arm held out in a sweeping motion and one arm held over his chest like a prince asking her for a dance while Sakura gave another dainty curtsy.

"So happy to be here..." she forced a sweet smile.

"So happy you could come..." he grinned painfully wide, fighting back the nausea.

'_How I want to run..._' they both thought in unison again, grimacing as they slowly began to back away, still facing each other as if one might attack the other at any moment.

"This is not my idea..." Sakura mumbled quietly to herself.

"This isn't my idea..." Sasuke shot the princess an icy stare.

"Of fun!" they both spat at each other, turning away with their arms crossed defiantly.

-XOXOXO-

Mikoto and Kaikiyo were strolling through the castle later that afternoon, while Yasuo took his sons horseback riding and Itachi was at his afternoon lessons. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke were play sword-fighting, the two boys against Sakura. It might have seemed unfair, if Sakura hadn't been winning...

"The children seem to get along quite nicely," Sakura's mother smiled, oblivious to the three children playing on the grand, carpeted stairs behind them, Sakura tripping Naruto as he tried to charge her from behind, and knocking Sasuke's stick from his hands with her own wooden 'sword'.

"We'll join our lands if the arrangement sticks!" Mikoto exclaimed, clapping excitedly, also oblivious as Sakura then jumped down on top of them after they'd both fallen down the stair, and began hitting them with her little fists with all her might.

"My dear Mikoto, that's my point precisely!" Kaikiyo chirped airily.

They walked out into one of the castle's open halls, where the corridor leading from side of the castle to the other was an open walkway outside with a grandly designed stone roof held up by thick marble columns.

"It's such good parenting!" Mikoto agreed, nodding.

"And poli~tics!" Kaikiyo chimed.

Up ahead, Sasuke and Naruto continued to attempt to stalk Sakura **(a/n: I mean they're trying to 'hunt' her down, like a sniper, not the other stalking!) **from behind one of the columns, both being extremely quiet, until a sudden jab between their shoulder blades caused them to turn around, nearly jumping a mile out of their skins. Only to see Sakura smiling sweetly at them, holding two wooden sticks to their backs, signaling she had successfully 'terminated' them first.

"So happy we agree!" Mikoto sang out.

"I think we've got the key," Kaikiyo held both the Uchiha's hands in hers giddily.

"Sasuke's quite the catch!"

"This is my idea..."

"This is _my_ idea..." Mikoto giggled.

"Of a match!" both mothers wrapped their arm around the others' shoulder as they continued their walk, ignoring the three children who ran by, Sakura attempting to fight both boys off at once as they teamed up to try to get her to surrender, thrusting their play swords as she blocked.

In the end it seemed only Sakura enjoyed the game, both boys pouting as she beamed innocently at them with her arms held behind her back. "Would you like to play something else?" she asked sweetly. They boys glared jadedly at the pinkette, turning away in a huff.

"Whatever..." Sasuke mumbled.

"There's no way a _girl_ could win unless you cheated," Naruto added hotly, puffing his cheeks out begrudgingly.

"I didn't cheat!" Sakura defended, tiny fists clenched at her sides now, and her large emerald eyes blazing. She took a step toward Naruto, giving him her most menacing look, highly adorable in the eyes of any spectator.

"Then prove it!" Naruto shot back, puffing out his chest challengingly as he stepped forward to meet her. They were glaring heatedly at each other, their noses almost touching.

Sakura paused, her glare faltering. Naruto, noticing this, smugly took this as a sign of defeat. "Ha! You can't can you?" he chided.

Sasuke smirked coldly at Sakura before turning away. "Come on Naruto, let's get away from princess pinky before we get her girl germs," he sneered. Naruto nodded in agreement, both leaving Sakura alone in the courtyard without a second glance.

She stared after them, her bright eyes slowly growing misted. Shaking her head, she tried to cover her disappointment with a tight-lipped frown. "F-Fine!" she called out after them, her voice cracking slightly. "Who w-wants to play with you...y-you meanie heads a-anyway...!"

She turned away, her cheeks rosier than usual as she hastily wiped her watering eyes on the back of her dress sleeve, not caring anymore whether the pretty dress she'd been so excited to wear got dirty.

She didn't understand why they were like that, why prince Sasuke seemed to despise her so much. Sure, she'd thought he was a total jerk from the moment she'd laid eyes on him, but she'd decided that maybe, if she tried to show him she could play all the games he liked to play, maybe he would be a little nicer.

Luckily for her, she had two older brothers, so she was no stranger to stick sword fighting or tag, or even tree climbing when her mother wasn't looking. All day she'd been playing along with the boys, trying to show them that she could be fun to play with if they just gave her a chance, though somehow this had only seemed to make them hate her more.

Sniffling, she wiped at her slightly runny nose, plopping down on the stones steps unceremoniously. A few drops of liquid slid from the corners of her eyes, despite her best attempts to hold them back, and before she knew it, she was curled up, with her head buried in her lap and hugging her knees, trying to muffle her sobs in the expensive silky fabric of her dress.

She was so preoccupied that she hadn't noticed the footsteps from behind her, or the presence of the person studying her intently. He peered down at the young princess, currently hunched over and seemingly bawling her eyes out.

"Princess," he called softly, causing said little girl to quickly whirl around, puffy eyes wide and startled.

She blinked at the voice that sounded from behind her, looking up to meet the blank yet intense stare of the elder Uchiha prince. '_W-when did he get here?_' she wondered, rubbing at her left eye as she hiccupped quietly.

"U-um..." she tried to speak, only to find doing so coherently impossible in her current state.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice dispassionate but not harsh or demanding. She looked back up into his onyx eyes and noticed they weren't mean or bossy like Sasuke's. Maybe it'd be ok if she talked to him.

"T-they..." she began, trying to compose herself. "t-they d-don't like me!" she finished with a forlorn hiccup, tears streaming freely down her round face. He sat down on the step above her, waiting for her to finish trying to calm down.

To be honest, Itachi wasn't very surprised by the way his brother had treated her. Sasuke was not very fond of members of the opposite sex at his age, especially young ones. Being used to having women of all ages pull and fuss and crowd around him, Sasuke had reached the conclusion that all girls must be the same way, and wasn't too fond of the daughters of wealthy ambassadors, politicians and councilmen his parents had forced him to interact with in the past.

It didn't help that he was going through the girls-have-cooties/bullying-girls-is-fun phase, something Itachi himself was mature enough to skip. The older Uchiha couldn't help but pity the poor girl as he watched the trio playing and fighting from the window of one of the many libraries, Sakura deliberately being left-out, ignored, or tag-teamed on multiple occasions.

Though he'd found it amusing how well she could defend herself against two opponents at once, and how determined she was to keep up with everything they did. She definitely had a fiery spirit, despite her cuteness and docile nature.

But even with her passionate attitude she was still a child, nonetheless, and prone to the same kind of easily hurt feelings. "Why would you think that?" he asked calmly, though he knew not even the most oblivious person could miss the obvious signs of their bitterness toward the pink-haired girl.

The small princess sat up a little straighter, looking right up at Itachi with her glistening wet eyes. "B-because...t-they said I had g-girl germs, and I only won because I c-cheated." she choked out.

Itachi raised an elegant eyebrow, his facial features still unreadable. Was his little brother really that dense? Naruto, he had no doubt. But it sounded like Sasuke was turning into quite the male chauvinist. "Do you believe them?"

Her mouth opened slightly and she seemed somewhat surprised by the question. Lowering her head in thought, she mumbled quietly. "N-no..."

"Then why would what they say matter? They're just being the immature boys they are; they can't help it if they're too childish to know how to treat girls with respect."

"R-really?" Sakura blinked, her eyes so earnest and open it was almost enough to make his heart skip a beat. Almost.

He'd nearly forgotten the purity and openness of a young child, still naive and curious about everything, still innocent enough to trust and have hopes and dreams. Yes, Sasuke was still young enough to be foolishly naive, but he'd never seen anyone with eyes that twinkled as brightly as this girl's.

It was heartwarming and comforting to see a child's eyes light up with faith. He nodded, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Yes. You shouldn't let them bother you. Sasuke is too juvenile to realize the world doesn't revolve around him, and Naruto is a few tarts short of a full basket." he added flatly.

And then, as he watched, the most incredible thing happened. A slow, lopsided smile began forming on the princess's face, and her eyes lit up so much they resembled two well-polished emeralds. "T-thank you, Mr. Prince Itachi!" she exclaimed warmly, her cheeks still rosy, but the tear marks on her face beginning to dry.

He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at this. This girl truly was something. The simplest of things could bring her happiness. And one smile could light up her entire face as brightly as a summer sun. "You're welcome, princess. And you may call me Itachi if you wish." He patted her head lightly before fixing her hat, which was crooked from all her running around. She stood up, still grinning and showing off the gap from the two baby teeth she'd recently lost.

"Okay, Itachi!" she chirped happily. She decided that despite his little brother being the spawn of Satan himself, Itachi was much nicer way more mature than dumb prince Sasuke. What kind of prince got his hair cut to look like a chicken's butt anyway?

He stood also, his bigger form towering over the tiny girl's. "Dinner should be ready soon, why don't we go back inside?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.

She nodded, taking his in her smaller one. "Uh-huh!"

* * *

><p>Sakura stared down at her plate as the adults chattered happily about politics, royal life, and how much they were enjoying being able to spend the summer relaxing together.<p>

Everyone was gathered in the fancy dining hall at the Uchiha's dinner table. It was truly a lavish sight, no expense having been spared, and only the finest cuisine was laid out for the occasion.

They were having roasted duck and red potatoes, with salad fresh from the royal garden, bread baked from the richest wheat in the kingdom, and live music by the royal orchestra.

The silverware was sterling silver and the glasses were edged with solid gold trimming and encrusted with sparkling rubies, as were the plates. The adults were happily sipping from their cups, which was filled with the fine wine imported all the way from Wine Country, while the children had water and juice.

Sakura was staring at her piece of roasted duck rather intently, occasionally glancing up at the scowling prince Sasuke from across the table, or more specifically his head.

For some odd reason, every time she looked at it, an image of Sasuke's strange hairdo would enter her mind, and she'd find it impossible to eat it without feeling as if she were taking a bite out of the prince's head (not that he didn't deserve it). Twice she had sworn it quacked at her.

She lifted her gaze from the mouth-watering meat to look at the moody prince once again, this time actually locking eyes with him. As onyx clashed with jade he gave her the most intimidating leer he could muster, and she subtly stuck her tongue out in return when she thought no one was looking. Sasuke seemed taken aback by her rebuttal, gritting his teeth at the girl's nerve.

Who did she think she was to challenge him? Where was this attitude suddenly coming from? He thought he'd made it clear to her earlier just who was in charge when he'd left her alone outside. He had heard her scream after them, and knew she'd been upset and on the verge of tears. But now her eyes sparked with defiance.

Everyone seemed oblivious to the little exchange. Sakura's father was describing the horseback riding adventure he'd had with his sons, Fugaku, who'd returned early from his business trip was listening silently.

Mikoto was daintily sipping from her wine while Sakura's mother carefully cut her meat before eating it just as ladylike, dabbing her mouth with a napkin afterwards.

Naruto, who'd chosen to stay for dinner, was practically inhaling the food, along with Akuna, much to the amazement of the servants who brought more water or took away the dirty plates when they were finished.

Hakuro was neatly eating and trying to hide his disgust at the flecks of food that landed in his direction. Sasuke was picking at the food on his plate and trying to ignore the fact that Sakura had been staring at him for the last half hour for some strange reason while Itachi watched the exchange in amusement.

After another five minutes of Sakura's open-mouthed gaping, Sasuke had finally had it. "What?" he hissed as quietly as possible, not wanting to draw the adults' attention.

Sakura blinked up at him innocently, realizing she'd been caught staring. She blushed, shaking her head dismissively. "Uh, n-nothing..." she smiled sheepishly before looking back down at her plate and nervously chewing a potato.

Sasuke huffed before roughly stabbing into the tender duck with his fork and biting it tersely. '_Girls are idiots._' he thought in annoyance, '_Especially girls with big foreheads and stupid pink hair._' Another rough jab to the poor, dead bird. Another bite.

A quiet giggle reached his ears, and he looked up, his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he slowly glanced over to see the pink-haired princess giggling as she shuffled the food around with her fork, grinning down at her plate like an idiot.

He felt the urge to lash out at her, if for no other reason than, he could, maybe even hurt her feelings again. "What are you laughing at, pinky?" he muttered, his harsh gaze not leaving her. Her head snapped up, her eyes as round as dinner plates, as if she'd been caught in the act of committing a crime.

Then, as if she realized who was addressing her, she narrowed her own eyes, before spitting back. "None of your business, Prince Ducky-_chan_," Now it was Sasuke's turn to stare incredulously, Sakura simply smiling at him before returning to whatever it was she was doing before.

The grip on his fork tightened so much, Sasuke almost could've sworn it bent forward slightly. That girl...oh, how he loathed her. He was so busy brooding over the little pink-haired menace sitting across from him, he failed to see Naruto, who was sitting on his left, look up after finishing his fifth plate of food.

He glanced over at his friend to see him glaring tensely ahead, then, across the table at the pink-haired girl, who was staring down at her still mostly full plate with a deep look of concentration, the tip of her small pink tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth.

She was doing something with the food, he noted, her small hands moving swiftly as she rearranged meat and potatoes, picking up bits of lettuce or baby tomatoes from her salad with her _bare hands_ when no one was looking.

Something even he knew was very unfit of a princess. Curiously, he craned his neck to the side to get a better view, staring in wonder at her plate. She had been using the food to make a picture, apparently. But this wasn't just any ordinary food art. This picture actually bore a strong resemblance to a _face_.

The juicy meat, was apparently the person's head, while she had used a sliced piece of potato wedge to create a frowning mouth. The person also had an olive for a nose, two tomato eyes, and a head of lettuce, literally. And lastly, she used two long, skinny pieces of shredded carrot to create angry eyebrows.

What the blond found the most interesting was that she had torn the lettuce to make it more distinguished, the food person having hair that rose into backward spikes. He stared before blinking in thought.

Now that he looked more closely, the person actually looked pretty familiar somehow... hm... he glanced around the table, studying each person carefully. His eyes finally landed on Sasuke, who was biting into his meat rather forcefully, like he was tearing off somebody's head.

Head...Sasuke...head. Naruto looked between Sakura's food face creation and Sasuke.

He looked at the angry carrot eyebrows, then Sasuke's own sloped, angry eyebrows. He observed the frowning potato mouth and Sasuke's own frown. Lastly, he studied the spiky head of lettuce, his gaze lingering on Sasuke spiky, duck-styled hair. Looking up in thought, a light bulb suddenly seemed to go off in the blond's head and he beamed from ear to ear.

"I get it now!" he all but screamed, "Sakura's making a food person to look like Sasuke-teme's head!" the blond looked quite proud of himself, completely oblivious to the fact that all other activity in the room had stopped.

The adults had stopped talking, the servers had stopped carrying trays of food and water, Sasuke's head had immediately snapped up, and Sakura froze, so shocked she actually dropped her fork, the twins had stopped eating; and the musicians had stopped playing. All eyes were glued in their direction.

Sasuke, however was the first to break the silence. "_What?_" he hissed in pure rage. His angry gaze fell on Sakura's plate, and sure enough, there was a face made of food in his likeliness.

Akuna, who had been sitting on Sakura's right, took one look at the face and fell over laughing, holding his stomach as he rolled around on the floor. "W-way to go, Saku-chan! It looks just like him!" he gasped between laughter. "You...e-even got the frown lines right!"

Hakuro glanced at Sakura's plate from her left and couldn't help but hide a few snickers by pretending to cough in his sleeve. He had to admit, it _did_ look a great deal like the bratty little prince. Who knew Sakura was so gifted?

Itachi hid his amusement by taking a slow slip from his glass, smirking all the while. Naruto continued to beam gleefully at being the first one to point out this discovery, while the adults also turned their attention to the princess's plate.

Kaikiyo immediately began chiding Sakura about playing with her food, while Mikoto simply brushed it aside, gushing about how adorable it looked. Yasuo, being the doting father he was, praised his daughter for showing such a creative and artistic ability and Fugaku chuckled quietly.

Sasuke, however was fuming. How dare this girl make a fool of him! Did she even know who she was messing with? He lowered his glare, his eyes flashing evilly.

That was it, he decided. This meant **_war_**.

* * *

><p><strong>Man was that a long chapter or what? I think it went pretty well, considering I was tempted to stop it after Sasuke and Naruto left Sakura and made her cry. Mean jerks! Luckily, Itachi helped out, in his own way. I wanted to make him show compassion but not too OOC. I can't decide whether to make him a brotherly figure to Sakura, have it be a one-sided crush with either him or her, or...make it a slight side-pairing later on. <strong>

**I'm sure it'll come to me eventually, though. Anyway, how did you like the dinner part? I don't know where it came from, but it seemed pretty funny and it fit so I just left it. XD**


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